Unfiltered olive oil: what it is, how long it keeps, which to choose
Unfiltered olive oil, raw oil, cloudy oil: three names for the same thing. It is extra virgin olive oil exactly as it leaves the mill's separator, without the pass through the filter that makes it clear. We sell it in every format, next to the filtered version of the same lot, and this page explains what changes and which to choose.
What "unfiltered" means
After milling and centrifuging, the oil still holds a small share of vegetation water and very fine particles of olive pulp. The filter removes them and the oil turns transparent. Without the filter they stay in suspension: the oil looks veiled, denser to the eye, and over time forms a light sediment at the bottom. That is why a new unfiltered oil looks cloudy, and why the sediment is not a fault.
What changes, in practice
- Look. Unfiltered is opaque and deep green in the first weeks; filtered is clear from day one.
- Keeping. The suspended particles are living matter: unfiltered oil should be used sooner, within a few months of opening, and kept dark and cool. Filtered is more stable and better suited to a year's supply.
- Sediment. In unfiltered oil the bottom thickens over time; do not shake before pouring, and use the last finger of the bottle for cooking.
- Same oil. Filtered and unfiltered come from the same lot, with the same code on the bottle. There is no "better" version, only the one that suits how you will use it.
Which to choose
Unfiltered if you use it raw within a few months and like new oil as it comes. Filtered if you buy a tin or bag-in-box to keep until the next season, or as a gift when you do not know when it will be opened. In doubt: one unfiltered bottle for the table, the rest filtered.
Our unfiltered oils
Every format exists in both versions; these links open the unfiltered variant directly.
- Unfiltered Settembre, single-cultivar Caninese from the first pick, 500 ml to 5 L
- Unfiltered bag-in-box, 3 and 5 L
- Unfiltered tins, 3 and 5 L, set of two
- Three 500 ml bottles, unfiltered
- Three 750 ml bottles, unfiltered
Milled within 24 hours of delivery, cold-extracted below 27 °C, lot code on every bottle. We ship across Europe, to the UK (no duty or VAT to pay on delivery) and to the United States (import duty and the courier's clearance fee are charged on delivery); see our shipping policy for details. The new 2026 oil is back in stock from mid-October.
Frequently asked questions
Is cloudy olive oil bad?
No. A new unfiltered oil is cloudy by nature. Oil is to be discarded when it smells rancid or musty, not when it looks veiled. More on this in why is my olive oil cloudy.
Does unfiltered oil keep less?
Yes. The sediment speeds up the oil's evolution: best used within a few months of opening, in the dark and away from heat. For a long supply, filtered is the better choice.
Should I shake the bottle?
No. Leave the sediment at the bottom, pour gently, and use the last finger for cooking.
Does unfiltered cost more?
No, filtered and unfiltered are the same price: €13.75 per litre for the blend, €20 to €26 per litre for the single-cultivar Settembre.